Identity Crisis: A Tracer and Widowmaker Story
by BlinkUltimateRecall
Summary: Who is Amélie Lacroix? Is she really dead, or just hidden deep beyond the icy Widowmaker exterior of Talon reconditioning? Everyone has given up on Amélie, but Lena refuses to let go of the friend she once knew. Follow a story of tragedy, rivalry, romance and hidden histories. Adventure and surprise will ensue, as Tracer and Widowmaker engage in a battle of wills and wits.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

An image of a rooftop becomes clear in her mind, running past Big Ben and the muzzle of a Rifle pressed close to her face. Suddenly a jumble of images, a bullet and Mondatta laying limply on the ground. A scream pierces her skull, followed by sound of her own voice.

She asks desperately "Why...Why would you do this?" as a laughing pierces the night in response.

Lena Oxton sat bolt upright in her bed, trying to get her bearings. After taking a few seconds, she realised it was just a nightmare, the same nightmare she had experienced countless times. Looking over, she saw Emily still asleep beside her, a calming image that helped her reclaim a grip on reality. The beads of sweat on her forehead told of the panic she still felt, the desperation of being unable to stop that tragic event from taking place. That laugh and the smirk on the face looking back at her, would haunt her dreams forever. For all the power Lena possessed as Tracer and all the abilities she had, there was nothing she could do to bring Mondatta back.

Amélie Lacroix had once been a loving and devoted wife to Overwatch agent Gérard. This was before she had been kidnapped, brutally tortured and reconditioned to become the cold hearted killing machine she now was. Widowmaker, now a high ranking Talon agent, had become one of the world's most feared assassins and Lena's foremost adversary. It was still a mystery to Lena how some people could be so twisted. To go after Gérard directly, it just seemed like something you could expect an enemy would do. The path Talon had taken with the destruction of Amélie's personality however, it seemed evil beyond comprehension. To have Gérard's own wife kill him in his sleep was the act of cowards. Lena felt she had lost two friends that day. It was difficult not to feel sympathy or even pity for Amélie, but the woman on that rooftop, the woman laughing at her, was no longer someone she recognised. Mondatta only wanted to help pave the way for everyone to live in peace. His death seemed a pointless act, one of an organisation whose only objective, appeared to be the creation of chaos.

The sound of her communicator disrupted her thoughts, Winston calling at this hour meant Overwatch business, that or he'd sat on his communicator again. She thought with some amusement that everybody should have a friend as good as Winston. Either way, it was time to answer the call.

"Hey Winston!" she said yawning, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes and trying to recover from her reverie. "What's the matter luv?"

A second passed before Winston looked at her. He was seemingly occupied by something else and grumbling to himself."Oh hello Lena, we have a new mission."

* * *

"Can I get you another drink Lena?" Amélie spoke softly as she approached her husband's new assistant.

These dinner events could be boring, but they were a chance to socialise, a chance to see what kept her husband so busy and needing to travel so much of the time. Gérard was in many ways the perfect husband. He was loving, affectionate and there for her when it counted. At the times though, he could be evasive, standoffish and Amélie could not shake the feeling there were things he did not tell her. His work seemed perfectly uninteresting, but he never really spoke about it at all, unless she prompted him. Now he had a new attractive young assistant and she had been with him on his last few trips. It seemed unfair and even silly to be insecure about it, but that nagging feeling persisted. She knew Gérard was hiding things and she was determined to find out what they were. Amélie approached Lena with a fresh glass of Champagne in hand.

"Cheers Luv!" Lena said brightly.

"I'm Amélie, nice to meet you," she said calmly.

"Of course!" Lena replied "Gérard talks about you all the time. He's never really happy without you when we're away," she finished brightly.

That did bring a smile to Amélie's face, but also caused her to to push a little further. "What is it a bright young thing like yourself does for my husband?" she asked.

Gérard never struck her as someone she would need to worry about like that, but many men had fallen for the attractive new woman in their lives. Lena seemed a little caught out by her question and Amélie caught the millisecond it took her to compose herself before answering.

"A little bit of this, a little bit of that, basically I take care of whatever he needs." Lena's reply seemed a little too casual and caused a stir of frustration in Amélie.

"I'm sure you do." Amélie replied curtly and she knew as soon as the words were uttered that she should have controlled herself.

"Ohh" Lena said with a smile. The laugh that came next was not what Amélie had expected. "Gérard would never do that to you, but even if he did, I'd be the last person you need to worry about." Lena's response confused Amélie and the look on her face must have given away that confusion.

"He's really not my type," Lena said after another little laugh. Amélie still stood with a rather blank look on her face, so Lena continued. "If anything you're more my type than he is." Lena finished her statement with a mischievous look.

Now it was Amélie's turn to laugh. "Well I will take the compliment," she said smiling. Amélie felt suitably foolish for the evening and realised she had made the last few minutes uncomfortable for both of them. "I'm sorry. I must seem like an idiot. Gérard is away so much these days and I feel like there's so much he does not tell me."

Lena seemed calmer now and spoke a little more seriously. "The work we do is boring, but in the our business there's so much we can't talk about for legal reasons. I'm sure if you ask Gérard about it and tell him you really want to know, he'll tell you what he can. It's all just business stuff. He's probably just concerned he'll send you to sleep," she finished lightly.

For the rest of the night Amélie sat with Lena. They drank and laughed, talking about other guests at the party, making fun of some of the more outlandish outfits. At the end of the night they were called over together, asked to be in a photograph with some of her husband's other colleagues.

That moment now seemed a part of the distant past. Sat in the grey interior of her quarters at the back of the Talon ship, looking at the photograph from that day, Widowmaker realised it was one of her more lasting and vivid memories. It was also one of the last real memories she still had from her previous life. She considered how this photograph got here, or how it even came to be among her scant belongings. She would never have seen it, had it not been trapped between two spare cases of her most prized ammunition. It was a memory that seemed almost nostalgic, but her cold heart could no longer feel such things. At that time, it had been Amélie and Lena. That was before she had known about Overwatch and Lena's role as Tracer. It seemed so long ago and so far from her current life. Tracer was now like a fly buzzing around her at every turn. Widowmaker knew that the Spider would eventually catch the fly. It was the inevitability of nature. And on that day she would crush the remains of that fly under the heal of her boot.

The sound of a deep rasping voice echoed from behind her. "Get up Widowmaker, we have a job to do."

Reaper appeared at her door, like the creepy dark spectre he was. Never a man with any sense of subtlety or taste, his shadowy visage since his apparent death had done nothing to improve his look, or his demeanour. As Widowmaker turned round, she saw Sombra also stood beside him, the latest nuisance to be endured.

"Snipers lack the nuance I prefer, I have some ideas..." Sombra started arrogantly.

"I would expect no less from an amateur," Widowmaker replied with her usual sense of disdain, being sure to interrupt Sombra with a cold harsh look. "What is the job?" she asked.

"We are going to capture Winston. That monkey has made his last scientific advancement for Overwatch," Reaper said, laughing maniacally. That brought a smile to Widowmaker's face. She knew it had always annoyed Reaper that he was constantly outsmarted by the primate. It gave her some vague sense of amusement.

"Then why not kill him?" she asked.

Reaper's tone showed some disappointment at the mission. "Some members of Talon feel he could be useful. Anyone else you can kill, but him we must capture. You have your orders, get ready to move out."

Widowmaker smirked in response. If Winston was there, Tracer would follow. Another chance for the perfect kill and the perfect thrill. No memory could stand in her way. Widowmaker tore up the photograph now clutched tightly in her hand and dropped it in the trash. Getting up, she readied herself for the mission and the chance at topping even her finest kill.


	2. This Will Have To Do

**This will have to do**

Lena looked around at the snowy streets, trying to get a feel for their current location. After the failed attempt on Katya Volskaya's life recently, it seemed unlikely that Talon would try again so soon. Their was latest intelligence told them that another attempt was incoming though, that communications intercepted between Reaper and Talon agents would bring him here, to once again try to kill the head of Volskaya industries, during another one of her many media appearances. If Talon were to become as reckless as this latest action suggested, it represented a golden opportunity to shut them down for good, or at the very least, a chance to capture some of their top agents.

A signal from her communicator told her Winston required her attention. He was staying out of sight for now, checking out some of the best sniper spots.

"There's some strange activity in the building just to the south of here." Winston sounded a little bit concerned, but still relatively calm.

"I can check it out big guy," Lena replied, starting towards the location.

Winston seemed to pause, considering the best course of action. "No, I can check this one out. I'm a lot closer. The press conference is in ten minutes. Get back here. You'll have line of sight on all the best sniper locations. If Reaper is here, Widowmaker will be with him. He won't risk getting too close in such a public place."

The plan seemed perfectly logical. "Copy that, I'll be right there," Lena replied.

Lena arrived at the location. The silence of an abandoned office building could always be a bit unsettling, but something here made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She made her way to the broad empty top floor, cautious to check every corner and watch out for anything unusual.

Her communicator signalled her again. Winston now sounded deeply concerned. "There's nothing here. This doesn't feel right. Be careful." It was then that Lena heard that laugh again.

* * *

Widowmaker laughed with a dark glee, as her voice echoed around the empty building. "Oh Tracer, you are the wrong fly for this web. Winston I had orders to capture. You I can kill."

She pulled the trigger and let her first bullets of the night fly. The vantage point was reasonable, but not the best sniper location. This was far too close to be a good spot for long. The advantage rested with her killing Tracer quickly, but the more challenging the shot, the more satisfying the kill. Once a target was in her sights, she never missed.

Reaper started like an irritant down her ear piece. "If you can't capture that damn monkey, capture that other pest. Don't defy me. You have your orders."

Widowmaker angrily tossed her ear piece away as Tracer dashed around the building, quickly trying to close the distance. She had no intention of obeying such stupid orders. Her perfect kill was all that mattered.

"You don't know how to stay still you ridiculous little fly," Widowmaker whispered to herself.

She fired shots, but a moving target like Tracer would never stay in one place for long. Widowmaker fired her venom mine in front of Tracer and Assault Rifle shots behind her, forcing Tracer to be ensnared by the venom. "Always making the same mistakes. This time your fancy technology won't be enough to save you."

Tracer used her recall to rewind time, cancelling out the effects of the venom. Widowmaker was ready for what came next. Seeing Tracer dash towards her, she fired her grappling hook at the wall and pulled herself away, knowing the last of the accelerator's charges were used. They had fought enough times for her to memorise every timing of Tracer's movements. As Widowmaker made to spin around for the perfect headshot, Tracer's head in her crosshairs, the rifle slipped just slightly, lowering her sights. Widowmaker fired her shot, the loud crack of her rifle echoed through the empty building and so did Tracer's scream.

A pool of blood started to form on the floor. Widowmaker made her way over to Tracer's annoying moans of pain. Would this buzzing insect die? The luck she had to avoid death at every turn seemed impossible. The perfect shot would have to wait, there was no gratification in shooting a wounded target point blank. Tracer looked up at her with pain desperation in her eyes, clearly struggling.

"One day Tracer, you will see me at a distance and know there is no escape. For today...This will have to do," Widowmaker said with a certain disappointment.

She hit Tracer on the head with the butt of her rifle, knocking her out cold. The limp form of her enemy still brought her a smile of some satisfaction.

* * *

Lena awoke to unfamiliar surroundings, her head pounding from the concussion Widowmaker had given her. Strangely, her injuries had been treated, but as her consciousness became full, so did the pain from the bullet wound in her calf. Judging the pain and bandaging, it was no more than a deep graze, but it had been enough to get her captured. She considered how she could be so careless, or how they could have been so easily fooled by Talon. Of course Talon weren't so sloppy with their communication. Of course it was a trap. They should never have been so sure of themselves. Lena tried desperately to use her abilities, but they seemed to just fizzle out in the confines of the cell. It seemed as though Talon were more than prepared to hold her.

Seeing the clear screen of her prison in front of her, it became clear where she was. Talon had her aboard one of their drop ships. Widowmaker stood outside the cell, eyeing her like a predator ready to toy with her prey. Seeing her like this, she was definitely intimidated. Widowmaker was every bit the Spider. Despite this, Lena couldn't shake the feeling that things didn't add up. The obsession and the desire. It didn't fit in her mind with everything Widowmaker claimed to be. Sitting up took some effort, but she forced herself to look Widowmaker in the eye, groaning in pain as she moved to get up.

"I keep coming back to the same question. Why would you do this?" Lena asked with as much defiance as she could muster in her current state.

Widowmaker laughed that same wicked laugh. "The thrill of the hunt, the feeling of the kill is all I need. One day I will get you cleanly in my sights Tracer." Lena seemed to consider this and it just didn't feel complete.

"Amélie!" she pleaded.

The mention of the name seemed to give Widowmaker pause. "Do not call me that. That is a name from a different life."

Sensing an opening Lena continued. "But Amélie, you had me in your sights and you didn't kill me."

Irritated, Widowmaker stared her down and replied with venom "I had my orders. You were to be captured. It is Winston we want. Winston will come for you and then we will take him. If more of your friends come, they will die," she said darkly.

Some of this seemed true to Lena, but it still didn't add up. "You don't really take orders from anyone. You were there to kill me. You missed," Lena said brightly, trying to get more of a reaction. This caused the most frustrated response yet.

"I do not miss!" Widowmaker snapped the response out with what almost seemed like a flash of anger.

Lena considered this and for the first time since her capture she smiled. "I know," she replied softly.

Widowmaker turned on her heels and stalked away from the cell door muttering to herself.

"Annoying little fly."

* * *

It was difficult to discern the exact passage of time in this fairly nondescript cell. Even so, it felt like days had passed before she had her next visitor. The purple glow down the corridor alerted Lena to the identity of the visitor, long before she arrived at the cell door. The glow of computing power in Sombra's suit and her implants made her curious to behold. Lena had never met Sombra until now, but her reputation as a deadly member of Talon was growing. She was not exactly a difficult figure to recognise. The arrogance emanated from Sombra's very movements, every bit as much as her ridiculous get up. She wore her identity as hacker proudly as she possibly could.

"Well, Tracer, isn't this a fine mess you've gotten yourself into? I heard stories of the legendary Tracer and here you are captured by a trap a child could have conjured," she finished smugly.

The accent gave away Sombra as a resident of Dorado. It seemed strange that she would be so eager to help Talon. Tracer considered her next words carefully.

"We're both on a Talon ship. For someone from Dorado, I would say that is also a fine mess," she said sharply.

Sombra laughed. "There we can agree. That's why I am going to help you get out of here."

Lena was stunned by the offer of help, but wary of the source. Right now though, she was not in a position to question a source of help.

"Why would you help me?" Lena asked.

"My motives are my own. For now just listen," Sombra replied and started the desciption of her plan. "In twenty minutes the power source of the security system and all the electronics will suffer a massive failure. Your door will open. You will have two minutes to make your escape, before my security system delay expires. There is an opening with parachutes by the cargo bay doors. The engines will begin having too many difficulties for them to worry about you. If you miss that window I cannot help you," she said with a sudden earnestness.

Lena, still confused and still not quite trusting Sombra's motives was stunned and could only muster a meak "thanks!" by way of reply. Sombra turned on the way out and seemed to consider the situation.

"Do not mistake my kindness for stupidity Tracer. If you tell anyone about this, I will make your current life vanish from existence. I will make things so difficult that even leaving your front door will become a national emergency. Do not cross me," she said in a suddenly firmer and much less arrogant manner.

And with that Sombra left Lena to her thoughts, with just enough time to prepare for her escape.

* * *

Lena waited patiently for the door to open and her chance to come. It felt as though this all might be some cruel trick. It felt like hours had passed since Sombra's bizarre offer of help. Lena's issues with chronal displacement usually gave her a keen sense of time, but in this environment, waiting for her moment to come, it had never passed so slowly. Finally the door slid open. It all seemed so calm and quiet that it almost didn't match the frantic time sensitive escape plan Sombra had described. Lena made her way out of her cell and towards the back of the ship, checking to make sure she did not see anyone, or that more importantly they did not see her. She was almost ready to leave when she saw a small living area with a dresser, a mirror and signature rifle case. The quarters had to be Amélie's. Before their latest conversation, Lena had given up on her old friend, the kind and beautiful woman she once knew. Now she felt guilt at having given up so easily. The way Amélie spoke, the hints of passion and anger, they did not speak of a someone devoid of all emotion. Amélie now seemed more than ever, a broken and damaged individual, someone Talon had destroyed. Perhaps the old Amélie was lost, but Lena would never forgive herself if she didn't try to recover some of the Amélie they all knew and loved. Besides that, Lena would have bet her life that Amélie missed that shot, and as the infamous Widowmaker was quick to point out, she did not miss. It was something she would be left to contemplate, if she ever actually got off this ship.

Knowing she had little time, Lena scrambled for something to write with. Unable to find a pen, she settled for lipstick and a napkin. Quickly searching her mind for any words to write, something to let Amélie know that her old self was still in there somewhere, Lena left her message. As she left the napkin on the dresser, the chaos Sombra promised suddenly arrived. Alarms sounded and the ship tilted violently throwing Lena against the side of the Ship's cabin. Recovering herself, she made her way to the back of the ship, opening the back of the cargo hold. Thankfully the Parachutes were exactly where Sombra claimed they would be. Lena strapped on her chute and got ready to jump. Behind her she could hear shouts of anger. Her breath and heart rate quickened as she saw Widowmaker and Reaper running towards her. Desperate to make her escape she jumped and did not look back. If she got out of this mess, Lena considered it might just be as lucky as she had ever been to make an escape. The one thing she was now certain of in all of this, she would think of Amélie as Amélie again. Widowmaker may be part of Amélie now, but it was far from the only part left.

* * *

Widowmaker looked out of the cargo hold in disgust. Tracer had escaped. It was bemusing. Reaper had smashed up half the ship, such was his anger. The fly was buzzing free again and her web had failed to hold her.

Sombra appeared, looking as smug as ever. "I told you Talon fools to do proper maintenance, but you rush around like the idiots you are and now we have a broken ship and no prisoner," she said slyly.

Sombra's arrogance became too much for Reaper to contend with. "Sombra hold your tongue or I will remove it." The menace in his voice made it clear he meant this literally.

It was clear this was a situation that would have to be rectified quickly. Talon did not tolerate mistakes. There would be consequences. Widowmaker let out a wry smile as she made her way back to her quarters. Tracer was free. It was bad for Talon, but for her it meant another chance to get her perfect kill. Did she miss? It was an odd notion to consider. It was a mistake she would not make again.

Getting back to her quarters, something seemed unusual. Things had been moved. It took her a moment to notice the napkin on the dresser. Words were written on it in lip stick. She had to read them a few times to fully understand their meaning.

"Thanks for the second chance Amélie

Love Lena

X"

It seemed a laughable sentiment from a laughable girl. Tracer really believed Amélie had spared her. Well Widowmaker would finish the job. The napkin could become another keepsake, a potential memory and another barrier to her perfect kills. Widowmaker laughed to herself and tossed the napkin in the trash, just like she would with any signs of her old life. Turning to leave for the inevitable and tiresome mission debrief. Widowmaker was nearly out the door when she stopped. It was a stupid napkin, a stupid sentimental thing of no importance and yet a little part of her felt conflicted. She turned and picked up the napkin from the trash. Dusting it off, she read it again and put it in her dresser draw.

"Lena you are a fool." She said softly.

Pushing down any thoughts of her old life, she was now more than ever determined to end Tracer's existence. After this there would be no more reminders of her old self, no more efforts to make her feel something. This was the last one. Spiders did not feel and she would crush this conflict when she saw the light in Tracer's pathetic eyes go out.

She whispered darkly to herself "No fly escapes the Spider's web forever Lena."


End file.
